Taylor Swift’s ‘Red’ Comeback Explained and What All the Jake Gyllenhaal Slander is About

Jake is screaming, crying, and throwing up rn.

If you’ve been on the internet at all lately, you’ll have noticed Swifties dominating newsfeeds on virtually every social media platform. You literally can’t escape ‘em.

why are this many of my mutuals taylor swift stans i dont know how long i can take this for

— sid (@serpiico) November 13, 2021

“All Too Well”, lost scarves, and a lot of dislike directed towards Mr Jake Gyllanhaal­—what does it all mean?!

This requires some time travel back to 2012.

It’s the year of Gangnam Style, Overly Attached Girlfriend memes, Grumpy Cat and everyone thinking the world was going to end. Simpler times, really.

Miss Swift came along and released her fourth studio album and magnum opus, Red, in the glorious pumpkin-spice-latte American autumn. It was sixteen tracks of devastating heartbreak, single girl anthems and upbeat bops.

With hits like "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" and "I Knew You Were Trouble", she single-handedly defined 2012.

But there was a certain gem that hardcore Swifties latched onto, which you might never have heard on the radio waves. “All Too Well” described Taylor’s tragic 3-month love affair with actor Jake Gyllenhaal back in 2010.

With lyrics like “you call me up again just to break me like a promise” and “maybe this thing was a masterpiece ‘til you tore it all up”, you can forgive Swifties for crying every time the track comes on.

the way we are all collectively crying and relating to all too well has me genuinely concerned

— sarah (@heavenbrat) November 12, 2021

So what’s with the ‘scarf’?

What made “All Too Well” so enduring were the little easter eggs left for the fans.

Taylor sings about how Jake “keep(s) her old scarf, from that very first week”, and he has in fact been spotted wearing a scarf that looks remarkably like Taylor’s.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jake’s sister, has since commented on the suggestion that it’s still at her house. It’s a whole thing.

If it was released 9 years ago, why are we hearing about it again?

Taylor’s always been extra. She goes above and beyond for her fans and her music, and this meant re-recording her albums which were sold without her consent by music manager Scooter Braun.

There’s a whole lot of legal matter behind this, but essentially, re-recording all of her music will ensure that she regains artistic and financial control over her own work.

Although it may appear like a cash-grab opportunity, Swift is raising awareness for musicians to be wary of any contracts they’re signing so that they don’t experience the same artistic theft.

The recordings are incredibly similar to the originals and only a die-hard Swiftie would be able to tell the difference.

However, as a treat, Taylor is releasing extended versions of certain songs as well as songs that have never been heard before. “All Too Well” originally tracked at 10 minutes in length, before it was cut down for its 2012 release.

What’s new about “All Too Well (10 Minute Version) (Taylor’s Version) (From The Vault)”?

So, Taylor’s finally given us the 10 Minute Version that we all desperately needed.

This version divulges the relationship in even more depth, with jaw-dropping lines like “weeping in a party bathroom / some actress asking me what happened / you / that’s what happened, you”.

But what everyone’s buzzing about is the short film that Taylor directed to accompany the song, featuring the talented Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. I advise preparing some tissues before watching this.

What’s with all the Jake Gyllenhaal slander?

Look, the 10 Minute Version of “All Too Well” and the depiction of Jake in the short film just isn’t… Great.

Taylor’s ripped into a lot of exes, but this heartbreak seemed to be especially painful. And Swifties are really going in on him.

Jake Gyllenhaal watching himself get cancelled over a 3 month long relationship he had 10 years ago pic.twitter.com/P5jAbVJwHF

— Alyssa Huffman (@alyhuffman45) November 13, 2021

Jake didn’t do anything too nefarious. We’re sure he’s a great bloke. But he might be going down in history forever for being the formidable man who broke Taylor Swift’s heart and danced in the kitchen in the refrigerator light.

Hope you’re enjoying hiding rn, Jake. Here are some more memes.

@itsbaeily 13 hours to go!!! #redtaylorsversion #fyp #taylorswift #swiftie #swifttok #jakegyllenhaal ♬ All Too Well (Taylor's Version) - Taylor Swift

@washingtonpost Get some sleep, Jake Gyllenhaal’s publicist. #TaylorsVersion #Spiderman #NoWayHome ♬ original sound - We are a newspaper.

if i was jake gyllenhaal i'd just post a selfie wearing that scarf then turn my phone off

— alina (@loversinfilm) November 14, 2021

Header Image: @taylorswift and @jakegyllenhaal via Instagram.